2017 Monaco Grand Prix Betting Preview

The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the Formula 1 season, with all of the action taking place on the streets of Monte Carlo, and this year’s event is just days away. Sebastian Vettel remains at the top of the Drivers’ Championship table, but Lewis Hamilton is now just six points behind, meaning the Brit could overtake his German rival by winning the most famous of Grand Prix races this Sunday 28 May. The bookies have Hamilton down as the narrow favourite to do just that, but does the form justify that favouritism or is Vettel potentially overpriced?

Form

Lewis Hamilton looked like he was on track to lose the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this month because, although he started in pole position, he was quickly overtaken in the first few seconds of the race by Sebastian Vettel. The German driver established an advantage of more than 2 seconds after the first lap, and he remained in the lead for half the race, but Mercedes decided to take a strategic risk and had Hamilton on medium tyres for the middle section, putting him on soft for the end. That decision, and another to deliberately delay the pit stop of Valtteri Bottas in order to hold Vettel up, allowed Hamilton to regain the lead in the 44th lap, and he remained in front until the end of the race. That earned the Mercedes driver 25 points, putting him on 98 for the season.

Sebastian Vettel finished the Spanish Grand Prix in second place, and although that result added another 18 to his tally, to give him in a total of 104, it will have frustrated him considerably. His early lead wasn’t quite enough to thwart the strategy of Mercedes and prevent Hamilton from achieving one of the most impressive wins of his career. Vettel will obviously be keen to bounce back from that defeat in Monaco, but it is difficult to see what he could have done better in Spain, or how he could possibly improve in time for this Sunday.

Valtteri Bottas started in third place on the grid for the Spanish Grand Prix, and played a major role in helping his team mate Lewis Hamilton to win the race by following team instructions and holding up Sebastian Vettel at a crucial stage. Unfortunately for Bottas, his own race ended on the 39th lap, when he was forced to retire due to engine failure. It was an old engine which had been fitted to his car the day before the race, and everyone believed that it was fine for at least one more run, but that belief proved false, and Bottas failed to pick up any points for his participation. Bottas remains on 63 points for the season, and currently sits in third place in the Drivers’ Championship table.

Sports.net’s View

Once again, the bookies expect the next Grand Prix race to be won by Hamilton, Vettel or Bottas, and it is Hamilton who is being offered at the shortest price to succeed. Given that he lost the lead to Vettel in the Spanish Grand Prix, remained behind for half the race and still managed to win, we think that he is a solid favourite to win again in Monaco. Hamilton will be spurred on by the fact that earning 25 points in Monaco would put him back at the top of the table for the Drivers’ Championship, so we expect him to go all-out on Sunday. With Vettel having no obvious areas to improve and Bottas having looked destined for third place in Spain had his engine been more reliable, we will tip Hamilton to win.

Sports.net’s Top Tip: Lewis Hamilton to win the Spanish Grand Prix – 6/5 at Paddy Power

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